Window shade pull



Dec. 23, 1969 R. c. GossLlNG WINDOW SHADE PULL `Filed March 1l, 1968 INVENTOR.

' 'J BY WMM@ United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 24-259 2 'Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A window shade pull for use with a window shade of the type having a slat carried in a pocket at its free end, which pull comprises a spring clip for attaching grip means to the slat in the pocket with the clip having a front leg, a bight, and a back leg all connected together in U-Shaped configuration, and with a dimple formed adjacent the upper end of the front leg that is positionable over the front `face of the slat, and with a projection at the upper end of the back leg that is positionable over the upper edge of the slat, The clip being characterized in that the attachment of the pull to a window shade does not mar the material of which the shade is made.

This invention relates to a novel shade pull for use with window shades.

Window shades have, of course, been known and widely used for many, many years. For the purposes of this invention, a window shade is defined to include a cylindrical roller to which an extended length of window shade material is attached at one end, the window shade being adapted to unwind and rewind the material about the roller. The end of the window shade material not attached to the roller, that is, the end on which a person grasps to manipulate the shade, is provided with a shade pull for nnwinding the shade from the roller and rewinding the shade back onto the roller. Typically, the shade pull is anchored to a wood or plastic slat carried in a pocket formed from a hem of the shade material at the free end of the window shade. The shade pull is centrally positioned relative to the window shade width.

Historically speaking, window shades were originally marketed in numerous different, iixed shade widths. The consumer then was faced with the choice of buying a window shade of that width most nearly corresponding to the window width for which the shade was to be used. The manufacturers of such window shades permanently attached a shade pull to each window shade centrally of the shade width.

At some point in the development of window shades the industry decided that it would be more economically desirable for the manufacturer to provide the distributor with a comparatively small inventory of window shade widths and to provide, at the same time, a machine to make commercially feasible the cutting of the shades to specified intermediate Widths as required by customers. This cutting to width had to be performed at the distribution level, that is, it could not be done by the consumer himself, because of the necessity for special tools to effect the shortening of shade width. Further, with the development of the inventions disclosed in U.S. 3,203,468 and U.S. 3,299,944, both assigned to the assignee of this application, cutting was substantially simpliiied so that it ibecame much easier for the distributor to cut a shade to a desired width.

In both the old style variable width window shades, as well as the more recently developed variable width window shades described in U.S. 3,203,468 and U.S. 3,299,- 944, the shade pulls cannot, of course, be applied to the window shades at the manufacturing level for the simple .Ice

reason that different customers will cut the window shades to different widths. Shade pulls are known for such variable width window shades but they generally are so deslgned that each has to be applied by certain hand tools once the window shade has been cut to width. Also, such a shade pull, once aiixed with the window shades hem pocket and slat, cannot .be removed from it without damagmg the window shade. If the shade pull is mounted somewhat oit-center it cannot be recentered without damaging the window shade. Of course, these shade pulls cannot be transferred from one window shade to another, either.

Thus, one objective of this invention has been to provide a shade pull that can be easily and simply engaged, disengaged and re-engaged for original placement on, for removal from, for recentering on, and/or for reattachment to the same or a different window shade once a window shade has been cut to the desired width.

Another objective of this invention has been to provide a standardized spring clip that can be used at the manufacturing level to support dilerent ornamentation and/ or grips for the shade pull.

The shade pull of this invention is particularly adapted for use with a window shade of the type having a slat carried in a pocket at its free end. The novel shade pull includes an improved spring clip for attaching grip means to the slat in the pocket comprising a front leg, a bight, and a back leg all connected together in U-shaped configuration. The clip has a dimple adjacent to the upper end of said front leg that is positionable over the front face of the slat, and a projection at the upper end of the back leg that is positionable over the top edge of the slat.

The window shade pull of this invention has a number of distinct advantages over shade pulls of the prior art. The shade pull of this invention, because of the spring clip structure, can be precisely recentered in the shade width even if the shade pull is positioned a little bit oH-center when initially engaged with the shade. That is, the shade pull of this invention can be moved to the precise center of the window shade by merely sliding it along the slat without injuring the shade material once it is attached to the shade. In addition, the shade pull of this invention may be easily removed from the window shade for purposes of cleaning the window shade, varying the decor of the shade pull, or the like, without damaging the window shade material in the area where it was attached to the shade. Of course, when decorative type window shades are used the housewife may desire periodically to change the decor of the shade itself even though the shade pull remains in useful condition. With the shade pull of this invention the pull need merely be removed from the old window shade and attached to the new, thereby prolonging the useful life of the shade pull.

Other objectives and advantages for the shade pull of this invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partially broken away View illustrating the shade pull of this invention in combination with a window shade;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the spring clip for attaching the pull ring to the window shade;

FIGURE 3 illustrates an initial step of applying the shade pull to the window shade;

FIGURE 4 illustrates an intermediate step in applying the shade pull to the window shade; and

FIGURE 5 illustrates the nal operating position of the shade pull with the window shade.

The shade pull 8 of this invention includes a U-shaped spring clip 10, a stylized medallion 11 attachable to the spring clip, and a grip means in the form of a ring 12 carried by or interconnected with the spring clip. It will be understood that many different stylized medallions 11 can be used with the spring clip or, alternatively, a medallion need not be secured at all to the spring clip. The function of the medallion 11 is merely decorative to partially hide that portion of the spring clip 10 exposed toward the front 13 of a window shade 14. Also, it will be understood that numerous different types of grip means connected to the spring clip 10 may be used such as, for example, tassels, rings or pendants attached to a cord with the cord being attached to the spring clip. Thus, substantially any grip or medallion design may be used with the shade pull 8.

The shade pull 8, of course, cooperates with a window shade 14 partially shown in FIGURES 1 and 3-5, the window shade having an extended length piece of shade material connected at one end to a roller, not shown, with a pocket 18 provided at its free end. The pocket 18 is formed by a hem of the shade material that is folded or doubled over and stitched as at 20. The transverse pocket 18 carries a reinforcing slat 21 having a top edge 22, a front face 23 and a back face 24.

The spring clip 10 is more particularly illustrated in FIGURE 2. The spring clip 10 is of a substantially U- shaped configuration and includes a front leg 26 and a back leg 27 with the legs being interconnected toward their bottoms by a bight 28. The front leg 26, when the spring clip 10 is not attached to the window shade, is inwardly inclined from the bight 28 to its top relative to the back leg. The front leg 26, at its top or free end, is so configured as to provide an inwardly curved section or dimple 31. When the clip 10 is upright, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, the horizontal distance A between the dimple 31 and back leg 27 is preferably on the order of about 75% or less the horizontal distance between the joint 32 of the front leg 26 with the bight 28 and the back leg. A hole 33 is provided intermediate the front legs length so that a desirable stylized medallion may be attached to the front leg 26 by a rivet 34 or other suitable fastener.

The bight 28 of the spring clip 10 is provided with a furrow or trough 37 whose sides, at their upper ends 38, 39, flare outwardly and upwardly to join the front leg 26 at joint 32 and the back leg 27 at joint 41, respectively. The trough 37 in the bight 28 of the spring clip 10 is preferably configured to receive the grip ring 12 so the ring does not rotate.

The back leg 27 extends up above the bight 28 to a height substantially above the dimple 31 on the front leg 26. A projection 45 is connected to the back leg 27 at its upper end, the projection extending between the back leg and the front leg 26 but not connecting the two legs. A head 44, formed integral with the back leg 27 and arched toward the front leg 26, connects the projection 45 with the back leg. The projection 45 is formed integral with the leading edge of the head 44, the joinder of the head 44 and the projection providing a curved nose 48. It will be noted that the dimension C is preferably about equal to the dimension D so that the head 44, and projection 45, substantially bridge the horizontal gap between the front leg 26 and the back leg 27, see FIGURE 2. It will also be noted that a relatively substantial vertical gap E is provided between the projection 45 and the dimple 31 on the front leg 26, see FIGURE 2.

The shade pull structure of this invention permits use of a unique method for attaching a shade pull 8 to a window shade 14. The upper ends of the front 26 and back 27 legs of the spring clip 10 are first forced apart So that the inner surface 46 of the dimple 31 engages the front face 47 of the pocket 18 and the nose 48 of the arched head 44 engages the rear face 49 of the pocket 18, see FIGURE 3. This rst step provides two substantially rounded surfaces on each side of the pocket 18 so that the Window shade material which forms the hem is not torn or otherwise adversely affected as the clip 10 is subsequently pushed toward its nal position relative to the slat 21 and pocket 18, see FIGURE 4. In final position the projection is positioned over the top edge 22 of the slat 21 and the dimple 31 is positioned over the front face 23 of the Slat. Preferably the clip 10 is made of cold rolled spring steel that has been annealed so that the springiness `it provides is sufficient to permit the legs 26, 27 to spread apart and the projection 45 to snap over the top 22 of the slat 21 in the pocket 18 once it reaches the position illustrmated in FIGURE 5. The dimple 31 on the front leg 26 cooperates with the slat 21 to urge the back leg 27 flush against the back face 24 of the slat, see FIGURE 5. It will be seen that the projection 45 integral with the head 44 provides a surface cooperating with the top edge 22 of the slat 21 which permits the window shade 14 to be pulled down by pull ring 12 without doing harm to either the shade material or the shade pull.

Thus, the steps of attaching the shade pull structure 8 of this invention to a window shade 14 include the very simple steps of first snapping the spring clip 10 into engagement with the window shade slat 21 and pocket 18 as is illustrated in FIGURE 3, thereafter pushing the spring clips projection 45 and dimple 31 upwardly over the front 23 and back 24 of the slat 21 and pocket 18, and subsequently permitting the projection 4S to snap into operating engagement with the top edge 22 of the slat in the window shade pocket 18.

Of course, to remove the shade pull 8 of this invention the back leg 27 of the spring clip 10 need merely be pulled back a sufficient amount so that the nose 48 of the head 44 clears the top edge 22 of the slat 21. Thereafter, the shade pull 8 is removed in steps of reverse sequence to that sequence used when initially engaging the shade pull with the window shade 14.

Having described the preferred embodiment of my invention, what I desire to claim and protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a shade pull particularly adapted for use with a window shade of the type having a slat carried in a pocket at its free end, an improved spring clip for attaching grip means to the slat in the pocket comprising a front leg, a bight, and a back leg all connected together in U-shaped configuration,

a dimple formed adjacent to the upper end of said front leg that is positionable over the front face of the slat, said dimple being inwardly curved, and

a projection connected to said back leg toward its upper end that is positionable over the top edge of the slat, said projection being arcuately connected to said back leg and extending towards said back leg and lying in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of said back leg,

said dimple and said projection being spaced from each other a sufficient distance to allow the slat to` be slid therebetween against the resilience of the clip.

2. An improved clip as set forth in claim 1 including a stylized medallion mounted on said front leg.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 146,136 1/ 1874 Lothrop.

533,385 1/1895 Tweedale 24-3.1 1,124,342 1/1915 Shock et al. 3,279,009 10/ 1966 Deane 24-3.7 3,362,053 1/ 1968 Land. 3,210,814 10/1965 Wolf 24-3.7

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner 

